The First Lady of Cypress Point

There's a bit of a legend that goes along with the name Marion Hollins.

It's said that during the initial site walk through of the course, the now iconic par-3 16th hole at Cypress Point, was ruled "too difficult" at first because no man could hit a shot with a 200 yard carry over the ocean. However, Hollins wasn't hearing any of it. She threw a ball down, took a mighty swing at it, and it is said that the ball rested precisely at the spot where she envisioned the green to go—proving that not only could a man make that shot, but so could a woman.

She's one of golf's greatest unsung heroes, and a truly under-appreciated figure in women's golf.

Born into the era of opulence and raised during the turn of the century, Hollins had the world at her finger tips, and she acted like it! She was an elite amateur golfer, horsewoman, polo player and trailblazing race car driver—and when she wasn't partaking in sport for fun, she was a passionate and prominent advocate for women’s suffrage. But golf remained her one true love.

When she was just a teenager, at the age of 14, she entered the U.S. Women’s Amateur for the first time. She later won the championship at age 29 in 1921. This sparked her to establish her own golf haven just for women. She founded the very first women’s private golf club in the world, Women’s National Golf & Tennis Club in Glen Head, New York. (The club still exists to this day under a new name, Glen Head Country Club.)

But during the 20s and into the 30s the world was taking a turn, and as the Great Depression loomed, Hollins father, who was a wealthy Wall Street businessman, lost all his money and the renaissance woman was forced to forge her own path. She set out west, where her name and legacy, to this day, is echoed through the wind in the trees.

Seeing the beauty and success of Pebble Beach which had opened in 1919, Hollins befriended Pebble's lead developer Samuel Morris, and bought a piece of land from him that she believed could be the setting for an "ultra private club".

She had a vision and a plan, but needed a partner to help with the execution. Hollins enlisted former British military surgeon, Dr. Alister MacKenzie, as her primary design collaborator. MacKenzie and Bobby Jones are the duo behind another iconic course—Augusta National.

Cypress Point opened in August 1928, and nearly a century later, the course is now the host of one of the most coveted amateur events, The Walker Cup.

Though design credit is granted to MacKenzie and another man named Robert Hunter, MacKenzie himself made it known that nothing was possible without Marion Hollins, writing, “The formation of the club was due to the energy and foresight of Miss Marion Hollins.”